Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch has not explained publicly why he sat out the national anthem before Saturday night’s game. But he did explain himself privately to Raiders coach Jack Del Rio — who then gave a misleading account of Lynch’s past actions to reporters.

PFT tracked down a video of the national anthem before the November 13, 2011 Ravens-Seahawks game in Seattle, and that video clearly shows Lynch standing for the anthem. We have not been able to find any photos or videos showing Lynch sitting out the anthem at any time in the 11 years since he entered the NFL, until Saturday night.

It’s possible that Lynch has skipped the anthem in some settings, but Del Rio’s statement made it sound like Lynch has consistently sat out the anthem throughout his career. He hasn’t.

Last year, when Colin Kaepernick‘s anthem protest sparked a national controversy, Lynch was out of the NFL and therefore wasn’t in position to either sit, stand, or lock arms with teammates, as Lynch’s former team did. But when Lynch was asked about it, he gave